COCA-COLA said yesterday its fourth-quarter 1995 profits were up 14 per cent from a year earlier, to $648 million (£412 million), or 52 cents a share. That came on sales of $4.3 billion, up from $4.026 billion in the same period a year ago.

Full-year 1995 revenues hit $2.98 billion, up from $2.55 billion in 1994. Per share earnings were up 20 per cent to $2.37.

Full-year 1995 profits more than doubled to $2.07 billion dollars from $931 million in 1994. Revenues for the year hit a record $20.2 billion from $16.7 billion. Coca-Cola employs around 250 people in Drogheda, Co Louth, making soft drink concentrates.